


with you, i'm more than ready!

by mochibeeans



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Can be read platonically or romantically - Freeform, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Freeform, Friendship, Light Angst, Light references to AkeShu, Not Beta Read, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Sickfic, Two Dorks With Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25146700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochibeeans/pseuds/mochibeeans
Summary: While walking through the streets of Kichijoji, Goro Akechi sees a familiar face, one who he never thought would help inspire him to remember how to laugh.(Sumire can concur that making him smile is totally worth an excruciating day of training!)
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Akechi Goro/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 18
Kudos: 60
Collections: Quality Persona Fics





	1. La Justice

The winter air was chilling as was the atmosphere of the New Year. That was all Goro Akechi could think and feel as he walked the streets of Kichijoji. Not for anything in particular, so to speak, but to investigate the changes in the general public. 

The former detective tugged at his gloves as he listened to the cheerful voices in the air. Unnatural joyousness from every direction. Despite the populus’s sedated cheer for now, it would all soon be their downfall. 

It made Goro _sick_. 

Changes forced upon the public by a madman. A man that somehow fused reality and Mementos as one, with nothing but a self-righteous, pious and disgusting sentiment, thinking as himself as some kind of.. savior. 

_“In what way does Takuto Maruki think of himself as any different than Masayoshi Shido?”_

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Goro pondered on this thought. But, nothing came. His head was spinning and his thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. Taking a deep breath, he watched as it appeared before his eyes in the winter air. Now, he found himself leaning against an apartment building, staring at the pink sunset that fell behind the city. 

Before today few things between the moment he was released from prison, met up with Ren in the Yongen-Jaya backstreets, and later, the rest of the group made any sense. His memory was foggy. Events from December last year are still black and white in his mind, but after putting together clues he saw and heard these past few weeks, he knew one thing. _“I shouldn’t be here.”_

Alive but still chained down, held captive not by his own self but by.. Some greater force. Whether it was Maruki's doing (somehow reviving all lost lives in Japan) or a wish, something that willed him to stand here right now, he couldn’t figure it out yet. 

The fading sunlight captured a feeling inside him he couldn’t describe. He shut his eyes and sighed. 

_“_ _I need a coffee…”_

“Akechi-san? Is that you?” 

  
  


Goro opened his eyes and looked back at the street. The first thing he saw was long red hair that glistened in the setting sun and a polite yet shy smile. 

“Yoshizawa-san.”

He greeted her, a little coldly. He flinched at the expression on her face, she still seemed shocked by his change in demeanor in the other world. He wondered why she was even here, approaching him now. Her cheeks were pink and he cursed inwardly as she seemed nervous to reply. 

Giving a sigh he looked down at her. This was no time for idle chit-chat, even though, he himself really was just meandering. Goro had hardly spoken to Sumire since the start of the New Year, besides their endeavors in the Metaverse. She was a strong girl and he admired that, however. He had no reason to ignore her, and like him, she didn't consider herself a Phantom Thief, despite working with the rest. 

“What do you want?” 

“O-oh, well..” she looked away before turning to face him again, now with a smile on her face. “Well, I just finished my training session with my coach and I decided to go to that cafe, the one we went to with Ren-senpai last summer, to get something after all the hard work- and then, I saw you standing here.” 

That explained her appearance. Her hair was tied up in a scrunchie, her clothes light; a red athletic tank top and black workout pants. Did she want to freeze to death? 

“Are you alright, Akechi-san?” 

He looked back at her and tried to quiet his mind. Her face was still filled with worry. 

“Of course. I was just thinking about our current route in the palace.” She didn’t need to know most of this recollecting took place alone in Jazz Jin, alone. He could see her shivering in the cold as she nodded at him, her lips quirking upwards. 

“Y-you are so serious, Akechi-san!” She giggled. 

He gave her a smirk. “And you are going to freeze. You said you wanted to go to that French cafe, right? A coffee doesn’t sound too bad right now.” She looked a mix between shock and excitement watching as he slowly began to walk in the direction of the cafe. 

“Are you coming?” He asked, turning back to her, his eyes narrowing. 

Racing to walk by his side she nodded and gave a quick bow. “Yes! I’m glad I found you there, what a surprise!” She looked up towards him with an easy going look, some of her worry seemingly melting away. 

He gave her a polite smile and nodded. Maybe a little break wouldn’t be terrible.

* * *

The inside of the cafe was nothing like the comfort Leblanc offered, but it was trendy and had suitable coffee. Seated next to a window, Goro felt eyes on him as he sipped on his coffee. 

In front of him Sumire was giving him a serious look, her brows furrowed. 

He raised a brow, not just at her but at the _feast_ she ordered. Between them, she had a coffee with cream, two fruit tarts, a slice of chantilly cake and a bento box from her lunch. _“All that for one girl?”_ He suppressed a laugh when she was ordering earlier. It was certainly unique. 

“You look perplexed, Yoshizawa, what’s the matter?” He asked her. 

Sumire sighed heavily and cut into her cake. “It’s just… You...” she mumbled, putting the piece in her mouth. 

He tried to hold down a chuckle at the sight before him. Sumire looked more like a pink-faced chipmunk, hoarding a stash of nuts than a girl, one who was ready to get on to him about something. 

Shaking his head, he gave her his full attention. “Me? That’s not a surprise nowadays. Do tell what’s the matter with me.” 

The red haired girl spoke urgently, as if it were a life or death matter, as she answered him.

“Just, that you won’t eat! In the time we’ve had together, you always wave off the food the others are eating, I’ve only ever seen you eat _once_ these past few weeks! And besides that, it’s always just coffee.. Though, Sojiro-san’s blend is very good.” 

“Point taken.” 

She shook her head at him, swallowing another bite. “Anyways, when was the last time you ate, Akechi-san?” 

He had to think about that, actually. Putting a hand on his chin he hummed, giving back an answer he found satisfying. “I had an apple this morning.” 

The look on her face was priceless. Her crimson eyes were wide and her mouth parted into an ‘o’ shape. “Are you serious?!” She gasped. “You’re going to pass out during battle like Yusuke did the other day..” 

He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t compare myself with Kitagawa, of all people. But, he’s not completely helpless. I’m sure he can, probably, cook at least something decent. Maybe.” _“Er, that last part didn’t need to slip out.”_

He tried to correct himself before Sumire, again, gave him a look of astonishment mixed with concern. 

“You can’t cook?” 

He frowned, a little irritated by her expression. “No, I can’t. Is that a problem or are you going to keep gaping at me like that?” Goro snapped before realizing he was being too harsh. 

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “I just.. Never had time to learn. I had no one to teach me nor did I have the time to ever make any meals when I was working and doing school, last year. I suppose it just became a habit.” 

Sumire kept a straight face now. She didn’t look offended by his sudden outburst, rather concerned, still. Her look made him feel even more guilty. 

After a moment she gave him a reassuring smile. “My gymnastic training reminds me a lot of the battles we’ve taken up in Mementos. You have to stay healthy, if you want to be prepared to win. Ren-senpai and you taught me the fight, but the warm up is just as important…” 

She looked down at her array of sweets, “And even after a hard battle, where’s the harm in a little reward? I know what you’re going to say...” She went on with a playful look. 

“Yoshizawa-san,” she spoke in a deep tone similar to his, “Where will eating cake and fruit tarts get you in battle? You’re going to get fat!” 

He couldn’t help but laugh at her mockful impression of him. “I would never say that to you.” 

She giggled. “My point is, it’s okay to treat yourself. And more importantly, to take care of yourself.” 

“ ...And If you want,” she added, “I can show you how to make bento.” 

He nodded, touched by her words. Sure, she was his kohai in the ways of the Metaverse, but the advice wasn’t bad. Somehow he found himself lost in conversation with her, something rare, a feeling he only experienced before with Ren. 

“I’ll take you up on that. I think I’ll skip sugar before a battle though. Sounds dangerous.”

Sumire had a cheeky smile. “You never know! Maybe it has some kind of special property in the other world. I want to test it out with these tarts.” 

She slid a plate of her fruit tarts his way. “Want one?” 

He took a sip of his coffee. “Maybe.” 

“Gahhh! What did we just talk about? Look, I’m going to tell you how to make bento, right now-” 

Goro couldn’t suppress his laughter any longer; and listened to her intently as she rambled. 

* * *

Outside, it was already dark. Heavy snow was starting to fall to both of the teenager’s surprises. 

Goro took a look at his watch and hadn’t realized the time. It was late. Quietly, the two of them began walking towards the exit of the shopping district. 

The skies were clear, a few stars above were visible through the clouds of dusty snow that fell and melted in the streets. Though it was late for the pair, Kichijoji was bustling with activity. Colors, lights and sounds of laughter filled the air. Goro ignored this and checked to see if Sumire was still by him. 

“We might miss the trains if we don’t hurry, I can make sure you get home, Yoshizawa-san. It’s late.” 

“...”

Without a reply, he turned to look behind him and saw her shivering. Snow was falling on her red hair and bare arms. Goro sighed, putting a hand to his temple. He forgot how underdressed she was from just her training attire. 

“Did you really not bring a coat with you?” _He_ was even shivering from beneath all the layers he wore. 

She shook her head. “I-I forgot it at the gym, it’s probably in my locker… S-sorry.” 

He was unsure of what to do, truthfully. Undoing his scarf, and removing it off his neck he gestured it her way. “Here. If you’re still cold, just, let me know. The trains aren’t far now, they have central heating.” 

She smiled and thanked him silently, wrapping it around her neck. The young man knew that wouldn’t be enough from their walk here to the station but the last resort that came to mind made him feel embarrassed. He grumbled internally at the thought, annoyed that such a simple action could make him feel so uneasy. 

Suddenly, an idea struck. 

“Let’s race to the station.” 

Sumire once again was giving him that look. “ _You_ want to race?” 

He ignored her tone and put a hand to his hip. “Do I seem that boring? No one in this city is in any right mind to care about the former detective prince running to the station. I don’t care.” 

“Detective Prince” sounded like he spat poison when he spoke it aloud. She muffled her laughter within his scarf. 

“No, you’re quite the opposite. You’re kind of funny, actually. Try to catch me, Akechi-senpai!” Her eyes sparkled at the idea and suddenly she ran ahead, faster than he had imagined. Goro flushed. 

_“Funny? Senpai?”_ She was speaking to him as if he were _Ren_. 

“You might trip in those shoes though! Be careful!” She shouted back at him gleefully. 

Suddenly, all he could see left of Sumire was her red hair floating against the wind and his plaid scarf, looking similar to her elegant cape in the other world, as it waved behind her. 

“Hey, wait up!”

Goro loved a challenge and in his casual clothing and uncomfortable shoes, he ran ahead after her, his heartbeat pounding as he broke into a grin. He hadn’t ever felt so free in reality, no, not in his life as he sprinted through the snowy streets and ignored the looks of everyone surrounding him. 

  
  


The brunette was still out of breath when they made it on the train. Sumire stood in front of him as he plopped on to the seat, exhausted. He admired her tenacity as she talked aloud. “What a great idea to get our blood pumping, Akechi-san! I feel so energized.” 

“I-It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything strenuous outside of the Metaverse,” he said wearily, stretching his arms. She looked down at him with a sly grin. “I told you, you have to take care of yourself more. Lets train sometime!” 

He at first wondered why she was even trying to be friendly with him, but knew she meant well.

It would be so much easier to tell the truth of his matter to someone like Ren. He’d say it straight-laced, without caution. But, as she smiled at him he thought it could wait. For now. (Or perhaps, she might never know.)

He shook the thought away. 

It didn’t matter. Their goals were aligned in taking down the instigator in all of this. She regained her true self, and he would continue to fight to regain whatever autonomy he could, no matter the cost. 

“In exchange for your training, I’ll teach you more self-defense in Mementos. Got it?” 

Sumire gave a fist pump, her eyes shining. “Let's do it this weekend then! Thank you so much, Akechi-san. I’m glad we could get to know each other a little better tonight.” 

He smiled at that and looked out at the starlit city beyond the train window, his pale reflection staring back. And behind him.. A pretty girl with so much determination. 

Deep inside he could feel his spirits being lifted by her strength. Her positivity was genuine, unlike the unsettling voices he heard in the city. 

_“I’m glad too.”_

  
  


Later that night, Goro walked Sumire home and eventually he found a late night train back to his apartment near Kichijoji. The silent ride back he couldn't stop thinking about the conversations they shared. (Nor her lovely smile.)

By the time the weekend passed, Goro was surprised that he was still waiting for her to message him. Eventually, he texted her and put his phone away. That was that. There was no harm in training together. Still, he couldn’t stop checking to see if she’d give him an answer.


	2. La Foi

Months ago when Sumire Yoshizawa still thought of herself as her sister, she never would have imagined spending an evening alone with Goro Akechi. Last summer, just the mere thought alone would have made her nervous.

(Not to mention, it was quite hard to keep up a facade of simple pleasantries alone when she was able to eat lunch with both him _and_ her senpai, last year.) 

He was a celebrity, afterall. The second Detective Prince. He was the talk of her class for a while. She recalled all of her classmates fawning over his looks, screenshotting interviews of him on their phones and ranting about how handsome he was. 

Sumire had only smiled along, but she agreed to the latter. He was handsome but they never really talked before, only meeting briefly, what felt like a lifetime ago. 

After seeing him for the first time in the other world, she immediately realized the Goro Akechi she had exchanged pleasantries with years ago was as fake as she was when pretending to be Kasumi Yoshizawa. 

These thoughts were whirling through her mind throughout her training session. Goro was an enigma, truly. But the way he fought, so similar to Ren, in a way.. 

If Joker’s greatest charm was his flashy tricks and skillful command, then Crow’s was the absolute _ferocity_ of his fighting style. 

They had saved her, but she never expected Goro to go along with it, considering how little she knew in this world. He took command in their brief battles before facing Maruki that first time. 

Goro fought by her side, his demeanor unlike anything she’d ever seen. In his dark armor (which she could only think of as unsettling at first), he fought with pure bloodlust. 

But, he still watched out for her, demanding her not to fall behind and protecting her when shadows attempted to strike them. In battle, she had given him a nod, choking down whatever fear she had and followed his and Joker’s lead. Seeing the two of them in battle had made her heart race. 

Once they had all reunited, the other thieves had given each other worried glances when she had asked more about him. They were worried about her but deep inside Sumire’s heart, whatever Goro had done in the past, she at least understood the pain of faking your true self. 

She was determined to understand him. The _true_ him. 

_“If I just got to know him better.”_

Those were the words that went through her mind when she saw him standing alone in the streets of Kichijoji. 

She had never seen someone who looked so lonely, besides her own self, at one time. When he responded to her with half-lidded eyes and a cold tone, Sumire at first was nervous. The dark circles under his eyes made her heart fill with worry, but she ignored her nerves and could only think of it as fate that she was seeing him here, right now. 

Though he came off as intimidating, Sumire knew they never truly got to know one another, not as themselves. 

It was never too late to try, right? 

  
  


That same evening the two walked side by side through inner city Tokyo, her home not far away. Sumire was still thinking of the talks they shared in the cafe and on the train back to her home, thankful that maybe, they were a little closer now.

(Goro really was a great conversationalist, when prompted. It was hard for her to keep up, at times.) 

“Th-thanks again for spending this evening with me. It was r-really fun!” She smiled at him, her cheeks were probably completely red in the weather. She couldn’t believe she forgot her jacket. 

_“Really Sumire?”_ She sucked in a sigh. She really was a scatterbrain when her thoughts were racing. 

He looked down at her. “It’s really not a problem. We made a deal so, don’t forget your coat next time we go out to train.” 

_“Ouch. Did he have to bring it up again?”_

She wiped at her numb nose with her sleeve, ignoring the chill (and his cold bluntness). 

Trying to think of more topics she continued talking, while trying to stop the chattering of her teeth. 

“M-my sister and I used to get sweets after our competitions, it really reminded me a lot of those t-times.” He didn’t say anything. Sumire tried to think of anything to break the current silence 

Suddenly, she felt a weight pull her down. 

“Akechi-san?” 

His beige coat was wrapped around her shoulders and it fully engulfed her in what warmth he had. Her heartbeat quickened as she pulled the coat closer to her instinctively, and let her chin rest in his scarf. 

“Just take it. I can’t stand the chattering of your teeth.” 

She looked over at him in just his sweater, his lips a thin line and his eyes looking away from hers. She swore his ears were just a tad pink, but she was probably looking about the same. 

Sumire giggled at his “stoic” expression and hugged herself. 

“You’ve saved me again, Akechi-san. Thank you.” 

She swore she saw him smile, but he only rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

* * *

The rest of their walk through the streets was silent until they finally approached Sumire’s block, she knew it was late. She wasn’t sure where Goro lived but knew he couldn’t walk with her any longer lest he miss his train. 

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” She asked him once she could see her home not too far in the distance. 

He nodded and gave her a half-hearted laugh. “Your worry for me is concerning. I’m fine.” 

She smiled and moved her arms to take off his coat. “Here- thank you again.” 

Goro gave her a sharp glance. “Just keep it. It’s still a far walk, I run warm. You can return it next time we meet.” 

“No! I couldn’t possibly-” 

He sighed deeply. “You are so stubborn.” With a shake of his head he continued, “Do you want me to walk you home, which you seem very persistent on refusing, or do you want to turn into an ice block? It’s your call.” 

She raised her brows at his statement and finally broke into loud laughter. 

“What?” He looked bewildered by her expression. 

He was so dramatic, she wiped a tear from under her glasses and collected herself. “You are so funny, truly, Akechi-san!”

There was no point in arguing even if her home was just ahead, maybe he really _did_ care. 

Walking ahead she gave him a final wave. “I’ll see you later. Thank you again!” 

Sumire didn’t hear him reply but continued her walk home and pulled his coat closer. It was a sweet gesture really, but he was so awkward about it. It only made her think about him deeper. 

She could smell him from his clothes. The thought made her feel a little shy, but it wasn’t such a bad feeling once she got used to it. His aroma reminded her of an expensive cologne, something like evergreen and spice; and darker tones she couldn’t identify. Tucking her hair behind her ears with a cold hand, she ignored her thoughts, finally approaching the steps of her home.

Looking back, Sumire saw Goro just now walking away. She smiled happily. 

She hoped her father was still at work as she sneaked into her room, still wearing his coat. Finally she was free as she switched the light on to her bedroom. Taking a deep breath, she hung it and his scarf up on her door and quickly fell into her bed. 

Exhaustion finally took hold of her then and there, her bones aching from the long day. She groaned and.. 

_“Achoo!”_

Sumire sniffled. 

“Oh no…” 

* * *

Sumire wasn’t sure how long it had been since that night. Days… Weeks? (Okay, maybe not that long.) Her head felt like it was going to pop. She had never felt more sick in her life. Her trashcan full of tissues was proof of that. 

Her father had come to check on her from time to time before heading to work. He had insisted she stay home as it was Monday today. Sumire refused this but he shook his head. 

“Take this cold medicine, I’ll head to the drugstore if you need anything else. Just get some rest, okay Sumi-chan?” He smiled at her. At first, she insisted she was fine, as she got up and then shakily fell back into bed. He was right. She was grateful (and touched that finally, he could hear him call her by her name.) 

While resting Sumire remembered she hadn’t even checked her phone as she had been sleeping heavily throughout the weekend. With a gasp, she retrieved it from her bed side table. 

Her thoughts raced as she realized the others probably needed her for their mission. If anything she had to get her strength back for that. Oh, and Coach Hiraguchi! They had training Saturday afternoon. 

And..

She winced as her phone screen lit up in her hands. 

She made a promise with Goro to train yesterday. _“Oh no, oh no, he must be so angry!”_

Out of everyone, she definitely didn’t want to get on his bad side, shaking her fears aside, she scrolled through her new messages. 

**Sat. 3:47 pm**

**Coach Hiraguchi:** "Sumire-san, your father told me you had a cold. Take it easy for now, alright? Let's get back to work the moment you’re feeling better." 

Sumire sighed in relief at her coach's text. She typed her a quick reply, thanking her. 

  
  


**Sat. 9:30 am**

**Phantom Thieves**

**Ryuji Sakamoto:** “Yo, anyone seen Sumire lately?” 

**Ann Takamaki:** “She hasn’t been at school.. I hope she’s alright.” 

**Haru Okumura:** “Agreed!”

**Makoto Nijima::** “Look what have I told you two about texting in class? Though, I’m worried too.”

**Ren Amamiya:** “I’ll reach out to her during lunch.” 

**Futaba Sakura:** “That’s our leader!” 

**Yusuke Kitagawa:** “Does leading really have anything to do with responding to a simple text? Speaking of.. Futaba you never answered mine. I thought you might be interested in the importance of the symmetry of those statues on your desk. I was thinking of giving your room some style, ‘feng shui’ as they call it.” 

**Futaba Sakura:** …

More texts came flooding in about her absence, she sighed, thankful the rowdy bunch were her friends. 

Quickly, she typed a reply back to Ren who texted her again this morning, telling him she just had a little cold and that she’d be back on her feet soon. 

A few minutes later, he replied.

**Ren Amamiya:** “Don’t worry about it. We’ll bring over some stuff after school for you.” 

She smiled at her screen. 

But, Goro never wrote her. Maybe, he was waiting for her to write first. She was embarrassed to have let him down. It was only right to apologize and tell him the truth. Clicking on his name she watched as the chat screen appeared. Taking a breath, she hovered over the message bar before her eyes widened. He was writing to her now. 

  
  


**Goro Akechi:** Yoshizawa-san, are you alright? 

  
  


She felt nervous writing him back but finally managed a text. 

“I’m fine. I’m so sorry about missing our training this weekend, I caught a cold and once again, I hope you can forgive me. I’ll give you back your things too during our next meeting.” She winced awaiting his reply. 

**“…”**

**Goro Akechi:** I’ll be over in a few minutes. 

  
  


Her heart stopped. 

“Wh-what?” She gasped out loud. Her face turned red. He was so blunt! And didn’t he have school? She sighed and could only manage typing a weak reply before her medicine kicked in. Her eyes were drowsy as she struggled to stay awake. 

With a yawn, she lay in bed and could only wait for him, her stomach flipping. 

Sumire awoke with a start when she heard a knock on the door. 

_“That must be Akechi-san.”_ She thought. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, he had already seen her in her lowest state in the palace..

Using all the strength in her body to make it to the door, she turned the knob and there he was. 

Goro’s expression was serious and his shaggy brown hair a tad messier than usual. In his hand he held what looked to be a paper bag with the label of a local cafe printed on the front. 

“Good morning,” he spoke to her not in the accosting way she thought he might. “I had a feeling this might happen. I got you something.” 

She was thrown off guard but mustered her courage to speak, and weakly, Sumire could only blush. With a raspy voice she opened the door further. “Thank you so much. I’m sorry for any trouble. Come in, for a moment.” The words left her mouth in an instant. 

He nodded, taking his shoes off in their genkan. 

Sumire slowly went to retrieve his belongings from the back of her door and when she returned to her living room she found him standing awkwardly next to her couch. She laughed. “You can sit, it’s alright. But, maybe don’t stay too long, I’m probably contagious..” 

He gave her a wry smile and sat, setting her food on the small table in the room. 

Sumire put his belongings next to him and sat on the far end of the couch, retrieving the bag. Inside was a bowl of soup and a spoon. She smiled gratefully and set it in her lap. 

“You’ll be happy to hear I had a nice breakfast when I bought that for you.” 

She giggled at his comment, but not without a small cough. “Did you, now?” She teased him happily, grateful that he took her advice. Though, maybe she needed to take her own too. 

Hearing her cough he frowned. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault, I should’ve done something sooner. Truthfully, I didn’t even think you could get sick from exposure to cold weather.” 

She gave him a caring glance and took a spoonful of the soup to drink. “There’s nothing you could’ve done, Akechi-san and it’s certainly not your fault. In all honesty, I overworked myself the other day. This is probably some sort of result of that..” 

Goro looked relieved but his expression turned serious as he watched her eat. “You were the one lecturing me about taking care of myself. But, you better do the same. Even if you’re new, I still haven’t forgotten our deal. I can’t have someone who's overworking themselves drag us down.” 

Sumire silently smiled at the fact he was speaking to her in the same tone as he did when he shielded her in the Metaverse. 

“And,” he continued hastily, “I also enjoyed accompanying you the other night. It was nice, getting to know you better.” 

She choked on her soup at his comment. 

“Yoshizawa-san?” He spoke up, his eyes wide. 

“Ahem! O-oh, well,” she stammered. 

Goro looked at her with amusement in his eyes. Sumire only blushed and gave him a tender smile. 

“Nothing. Thank you again, Akechi. You are very kind.” 

Feeling comfortable around him she thought she might be honest. “I.. I almost thought you might be mad at me, because I forgot to message you. But maybe it’s better saying it in person..” Slowly, she set her food down and shut her eyes. 

She took a deep breath. 

“I know I’m still new to this but.. Promises are important to me. I’m not sure what I can do for you in return yet but, without overworking myself, know this.. I’ll do my best to make you proud!” 

Her voice cracked at that last line. Opening her eyes, she covered her mouth in embarrassment. 

Goro made a “pfft” noise and then broke into a fit of laughter. His wry laughing made her body feel warm and for once and Sumire couldn’t help but join in. 

She was so thankful they could share this moment in reality. His generosity towards her was something she wouldn’t have expected from the princely young man she met in another life. This moment, as themselves, it was genuine. 

Before he left she thanked him again for lending her his coat, he waved it off and took them off her hands. 

“You, um, might want to take these to a cleaner. I don’t want you catching this.” 

He scoffed playfully. “Best I leave immediately then. Feel better.” 

Sumire giggled at that. He said a final goodbye but before leaving, turned to say one last word to her. Sumire admired his looks. The tousled hair that fell between his eyes, the sweet gaze he was giving her..

“Don’t worry about giving me anything in return. Besides training with you, I’d like to take you back to that cafe for some more coffee, if you’d like.” 

She could only nod in reply and as quickly as he said it, he was gone. Sumire felt her head spin at the sound of the shutting door. 

Returning to her couch she couldn’t stop smiling. Soon, she finished off her soup and noticed another container in the bag. Opening it, she found two fruit tarts. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


In Leblanc, the group of teenagers prepared for another side mission to Mementos. 

Ren and Makoto went over the details in the main booth while Ryuji played an app-game beside Ren laughing loudly at whatever was on his phone.

Yusuke was still bugging Futaba, who sat next to Ann, about “redecorating her room” and Haru sat in a pulled up chair with a smile, sipping at her tea in one hand and petting Morgana, who sat sleepily in her lap, with her other. 

From the chair beside the counter, Sumire could only watch her friends with a grateful smile. She was so happy to finally find a group of lively friends who could accept her for who she was. 

To her right, Goro stood next to her, sipping his favorite coffee with his eyes closed. As Sumire studied his face she could see a hint of amusement in his expression. 

And between them, on Leblanc’s counter, was a bento Goro had made and shared with her before the meeting began. (She told him he would make a fine bento chef one day. He rolled his eyes at that and then grabbed a piece of sushi with his chopsticks.) 

“You two have been pretty close lately, hm, Sumi, Akechi?” 

Sumire looked towards Futaba who had a devilish grin on her face after saying such a thing. Goro opened an eye and stared back at the girl wearily. Sumire laughed, feeling a light blush on her cheeks as Haru chimed in. “I think so too, Futaba-chan..!” 

The rest of the thieves looked their way with curious glances (and growing smirks from the faces of Ann and Haru). 

Goro sighed, averting their stares. “And? What of it? I’ve just been helping her train, that’s all.” 

Ren laughed huskily and stood up from his seat next to Makoto, who looked, in a matter of words, completely done. Their leader made his way up to the pair and Sumire could only brace herself for whatever sassy remark would fall from his lips. 

“Special training, hm? I want in too.” Ren grinned at them and leaned close into Goro’s space, facing him head on. The young man frowned and the next thing Ren knew he was met with a light shove from the brunette. Sumire couldn’t help but laugh as she noticed the blush across Goro’s face. 

Everyone laughed comfortably as Ren gave a dramatic “you wound me” expression, and soon, Makoto, who was now smiling, ushered Ren to return to announce their next target. 

Sumire’s smile deepened as she watched Goro collect himself, adjusting the scarf that he had once lent her. He gave her a side glance, his look soft. 

* * *

As the group entered the Metaverse, Sumire did some stretching and went through everything Goro taught her during their training sessions in Mementos. His words in her mind lit a fire deep within her chest. 

Feeling free in her thief attire, Sumire walked down the steps of the underground subway, feeling her cape billow from the updraft below. 

Before following the motley group, she heard Goros’ voice call her name. Looking up, she found him to her right. 

He was giving her a determined smile from beneath his black mask; his eyes fixed on hers from beneath the masks red lenses. 

“Ready to go, Violet?” 

She smiled back at him brightly as they stood side by side. 

“With you, I’m more than ready, Crow-senpai!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge shoutout to my AkeSumi Discord friends for giving me the courage and inspiration to write this! What happens next is up to you, but for their "training" the image I had was inspired by another great AkeSumi fic called "my senpai is unavailable right now but you’ll do nicely!" by pavosreal. (Please go read it if you haven't yet!)


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